Đề thi môn Tiếng Anh - Thi thử học sinh giỏi Lớp 9 cấp Tỉnh - Năm học 2014-2015 - Trường THCS Vĩnh Yên

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TRƯỜNG THCS VĨNH YÊN 
ĐỀ THI THỬ HSG LỚP 9 CẤP TỈNH 
NĂM HỌC 2014-2015 
ĐỀ THI MÔN: TIẾNG ANH 
Thời gian thi: 150 phút, không kể thời gian giao đề 
(Đề thi gồm 10 trang) 
I. LISTENING: You will have 30 seconds to read through each part before listening. You 
will hear each part TWICE. 
Part 1: Listen to a piece of news about herbs and spices, and some of their many uses. 
Listen carefully and complete the summary with NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from 
the tape. 
Herbs and spices have been used for (1) While herbs come from the 
(2).. of plants or vegetables, spices come from other parts of plants and 
trees. For example, cinnamon is from cinnamon plants’ hard outer cover while 
(3).... is from underground part of its plant. 
Some herbs and spices are valued for their taste. They help (4) the 
taste of many foods. Others are chosen for their smell or for (5)... 
Some herbs and spices may be getting significant in (6) For example, 
American researchers say that red pepper could benefit those who want to 
(7) especially those who do not usually add spices to their food. 
The effects of red pepper were reported in the (8).. Physiology and 
Behaviour by researchers from Purdue University, who found that small changes in diet, 
like adding the pepper, may reduce (9).. to eat. 
Answer: 
1. 2. 3. 
4. 5. 6. 
7. 8. 9. 
Part 2: You will hear Joel Jones, an actor, being interviewed about a cartoon film called 
Basil the Bee which he wrote and helped to make. Listen carefully and choose the correct 
answer A, B, or C. 
10. What were Joel’s first thoughts about making the movie? 
A. The story will be hard to plan. 
B. It will be a quick job. 
C. It will be lots of fun. 
11. What does Joel say about Basil the Bee? 
A. Basil’s appearance is based on Joel. 
B. Joel’s face is fatter than Basil’s. 
C. They look quite similar. 
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12. Joel says his little daughter 
A. is afraid of bees. 
B. isn’t really old enough to enjoy the movie. 
C. doesn’t understand her father’s connection to the movie. 
13. Who did Joel originally plan the movie for? 
A. young children 
B. teenagers 
C. people of all ages 
14. Joel thinks people approve of bees because 
A. bees are like humans in several ways. 
B. people enjoy eating honey. 
C. people can make money from keeping bees. 
15. How does Joel feel about most insects? 
A. He thinks the insect world is interesting to study. 
B. He likes bees better than other insects. 
C. He enjoys watching insects in his garden. 
Answer: 
10. 11. 12. 
13. 14. 15. 
II. PRONUNCIATION 
Choose the option whose underlined part is pronounced differently from the others’. 
1. A. necklace B. surface C. palace D. purchase 
2. A. examine B. determine C. famine D. undermine 
3. A. kangaroo B. typhoon C. good D. groom 
Choose the option whose stress pattern is different from the others’. 
4. A. humorous B. generous C. disastrous D. mountainous 
5. A. somehow B. despite C. throughout D. abroad 
Answer: 
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 
III. LEXICO-GRAMMAR 
Exercise 1: Choose the best option to complete each sentence. 
1. She wants to go shopping, but she has hardly ______. 
 A. no money B. some money C. little money D. any money 
2. Generally ______, learning a foreign language is interesting, but not easy. 
 A. spoken B. speaking C. speak D. speaks 
3. Staying in a hotel costs ______ renting a room in a dormitory for a week. 
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 A. twice as much as B. as much twice as 
 C. twice more than D. as much as twice 
4. ______ had the curtain been raised than the light went out. 
 A. Only when B. Scarcely C. Hardly D. No sooner 
5. Man’s use of colours ______ back to the time when men first used red and yellow clays to 
paint their bodies. 
 A. had dated B. dating C. dated D. dates 
6. They were fortune ______ from the fire before the building collapsed. 
 A. to rescue B. to have rescued C. rescuing D. to have been rescued 
7. Jim ______ care of himself. He left home when he was 16 and has been on his own since 
then. 
 A. used to take B. is used to take C. is used to taking D. used to be taken 
8. If coastal erosion continues to take place at the present rate, in another fifty years this 
beach ______. 
 A. won’t be existing B. doesn’t exist 
 C. isn’t going to exist D. isn’t existing 
9. These days women are not expected to stay at home ______ their mothers did in the past. 
 A. such as B. like C. as if D. as 
10. Due to the storm, the flight to New York was ______ for some hours. 
 A. cancelled B. delayed C. stopped D. given up 
11. The twins look so much alike that almost no one can ______ them ______. 
 A. tell – away B. take – on C. tell – apart D. take – apart 
12. They have made no ______ at all in our talk about a common agricultural policy. 
 A. gain B. progress C. profit D. success 
13. ______ of his childhood home in Hannibal, Missouri, provided Mark Twain with the 
inspiration for two of his most popular novels. 
A. He remembered B. Remembering C. Memories D. It was the memories 
14. _______ of the financial crisis, all they could do was hold on and hope that things would 
improve. 
 A. At the bottom B. At the height C. On the top D. In the end 
15. In order to buy his house, he had to obtain a large _________ from his bank. 
 A. loan B. finance C. capital D. debt 
16. I promise not to disturb you. I’ll just sit here and I’ll be as quiet as a ____________. 
 A. sheep B. fish C. mouse D. dog 
17. He was ___________.boy! 
 A. how good a B. so good a C. so a good D. what a good 
18. “ How long is the seminar?” - “___________knowledge, it takes about three hours.” 
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 A. To my best B. In my best C. In my best of D. To the best of my 
19. She has just bought _________ 
 A. an old interesting painting French B. a French interesting old painting 
 C. a French old interesting painting D. an interesting old French painting 
20. The government are doing a _____________of people’s changing habits. 
A. plan B. project C. survey D. research 
Answer: 
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 
6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 
11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 
16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 
Exercise 2: The passage below contains 10 MISTAKES. Find and correct them. 
Don’t worried too much when you make a mistake – nobody are perfect. Figure 
out what caused the mistakes and what you can do next time to avoid it or 
improve the outcome in at least some minor way. Remember what Thomas 
Edison said about mistakes are the key to innovation; we stumbled upon some of 
our greatest invention by mistake. It’s not the end of the world. 
When you do a mistake (especially a string of them), it’s easy to get frustrating 
and feel like everything is fallen apart. Stress can compound as you race toward 
deadlines, and the inkling to throw in the towel starts build up inside. It’s ok. You 
may need to pay some sort of retribution for your mistake, but that which doesn’t 
kill you only give you an opportunity to prove who are you really. 
Line 1 
Line 2 
Line 3 
Line 4 
Line 5 
Line 6 
Line 7 
Line 8 
Line 9 
Line 10 
Answer: Example: worried (line 1) => worry 
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 
6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 
Exercise 3: Read the passage and provide the correct forms of the words in capitals. 
Many young people enter their 1.TWENTIETH already saddled with student 2.LEND, to be 
carried throughout this decade and perhaps into the next. Before you commit to an expensive 
3.EDUCATE path, confirm that your 4.DESIRE career field requires it–perhaps a trade 
school, certificate, or 5.APPRENTICE would be 6.EQUALITY effective. If you do not yet 
know what you want to pursue 7.PROFESSION, work for a year and 8.EXPLORATION that 
question. Do you want to find out the answer while you’re making a little money, or 
9.THROW it away on 10.CLASSMATE you may not like or need? 
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Answer: 
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 
6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 
IV. READING 
Exercise 1: Read the text about a photograph competition and decide if each statement is 
correct or incorrect. 
If it is correct, write TRUE on your answer sheet. 
If it is not correct, write FALSE on your answer sheet. 
the australian Young photographers’ Competition 
Every year the Australia Young Photographers’ Association organises a photography 
competition for young people. Later this year the organisation will be 30 years old and, to 
celebrate, we have a very special prize. If you win, you will go on a trip for two (you and a 
parent or another adult in your family) to the rainforest in Borneo! If you are an Australian 
high school student aged between 12 and 18, then enter our competition. There are two 
second prizes of $200 each (one for 12-14-year-olds and one for 15-18-year-olds) and two 
third prizes of $100 each (one for 12-14-year-olds and one for 15-18-year-olds). 
We are looking for photographs that show either Australia’s amazing wildlife – its birds, 
snakes, animals or insects – or its dramatic landscapes – its open spaces, rainforests, rivers 
and beautiful cities. A photograph can show so much more about a country than a written 
description. So send us one which explains what Australia means to you. 
You may enter the competition as many times as you wish but all entries must be 
accompanied by the $5 entrance fee. Any photograph which has already been a competition 
winner should not be entered. 
To enter, go online at www.youngphotographers.au/competition and upload your photograph 
using the form provided. Each entry must include your name, date of birth, an email address 
and a daytime contact phone number. If you are 14 years of age or under, you need to 
provide us with the email address of a responsible adult. Make sure they are happy for you to 
use their email address. If you are 15 years of over, you can use your own email address. If 
you prefer, you can print the form and send us your photograph by post. 
The competition opens at midnight on 1 February. The closing date for online entry is 
Monday 31 March. The closing date for entries by post to be received in the Competition 
Office is Monday 24 March. Winners will receive the news by email or phone no later than 
Monday 6 April. There will be a special exhibition of photographs in City Halls between 
Monday 29 April and Monday 5 May. 
Where a photograph entered in the competition shows a person other than yourself, you must 
get the necessary permission from that other person and you must send us that permission in 
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writing. If you are one of our winners, you must agree to the organization using your name, 
photograph and/or voice for an unlimited period of time, without payment, for advertising 
purposes. We will not tell you each time we do so. 
1. Two of the winners will go to Borneo. 
2. Photographs can be accompanied by a written description. 
3. If you enter the competition more than once, you have to pay $5 each time. 
4. Children under 15 should send an adult’s email as well as their own. 
5. A fee will be sent to the photographer if a photo is used for advertising. 
Answer: 
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 
Exercise 2: Read the passage and choose the best answer for each of the questions below 
I must tell you about our holiday this year-it was one of the best we’d ever had. No, we 
weren’t staying in an expensive hotel, but a youth hostel! I know what you are thinking: We 
must’ve gone mad. But we haven’t – I just wish we’d discovered youth hostels years ago. Now 
that I’m back at university again. Luxury hotels are a thing of the past, and I was complaining 
about this one day to a friend who said that she and her family never stayed anywhere but 
hostels. I had no idea that hostels could be anything from a cottage to a castle. In fact there are 
four different grades – simple, standard, superior and special. So you pay an overnight charge 
according to the kind of hostels you stay at. You can’t stay more than three nights at a time but 
that didn’t bother us because we wanted a touring holiday. Basically you look after an evening 
meal if you arrive early enough. There are a few rules like having to be in by 11 p.m in the 
evening and out by 10 a.m in the morning but otherwise you’re free to do what you want. Now 
I really believe that the best thing about this whole holiday was meeting so many different and 
interesting people. I used to think hostels were only for the young and noisy, but not any more. 
You can’t imagine what a variety there was! Anyway what are you all doing next year? 
1. This is from 
A. a letter B. a magazine C. a poster D. a diary 
2. What is the writer trying to do? 
A. to make complaints B. to offer instruction 
C. to give direction D. to give information 
3. Why didn’t the writer stay in the hotel? 
A. She had to be in by 11p.m and out by 10a.m 
B. It was too noisy 
C. She couldn’t stay as long as she wished 
D. She didn’t have enough money to stay in a hotel because she is studying again. 
4. What did the writer most enjoy about holiday? 
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A. She could do anything she liked 
B. it was a touring holiday 
C. She enjoyed meeting other people staying in the hostel 
D. the holiday was lying and interesting 
5. The writer was. 
A. a reporter B. a spokeswoman. C. a student D. a tour guide 
Answer: 
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 
Exercise 3: Read the text below and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to 
indicate the correct answer which best fits each space 
These days in business, people have to face many challenging questions when designing 
and implementing new projects in underdeveloped areas of the countryside. One issue which 
has to be faced is whether it is possible to introduce new technology without destroying the 
local environment. 
 Economic (1)..and environment conservation are often seen as natural enemies. It 
is unfortunate that in the past this has often been true, and it has been necessary to choose 
between (2)the project or protecting the environment. However, by taking environmental 
considerations (3)..at an early stage in a project, companies can significantly reduce any 
impact on local plants and animals. 
 For example, in southern Africa, a company called CEL, was asked to put up 410 km of 
a power transmission line without disturbing the rare birds which inhabit that area. The project 
was carried out with (4)disturbance last summer. What may surprise many business 
people is the fact that this consideration for local wildlife did not in any way (5)..down 
the project. Indeed, the necessary advance planning (6)with local knowledge and 
advanced technology (7)..that the project was actually completed ahead of schedule. CEL 
was contracted to finish the job by October and (8)..to do so two months earlier. 
 CEL is one of those companies which is (9)..to the principle of environmental 
conservation. Many other companies have yet to be (10).of the importance of balancing 
the needs of people with those of the environment. However, it may be the only realistic way 
forward. 
1. A. rise B. progression C. development D. increase 
2. A. controlling B. dealing C. running D. leading 
3. A. gravely B. seriously C. severely D. deeply 
4. A. minimal B. bare C. smallest D. least 
5. A. speed B. turn C. slow D. hold 
6. A. related B. added C. combined D. tied 
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7. A. caused B. resulted C. led D. meant 
8. A. managed B. succeeded C. achieved D. fulfilled 
9. A. promised B. persuaded C. convicted D. committed 
10. A. urged B. impressed C. argued D. convinced 
Answer: 
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 
6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 
Exercise 4: Read the text and fill in each blank with one most suitable word. 
The Internet of 2006 was not much different than it is today, mainly less: a bit slower, sparser, 
and (1). open for business, like your hometown before the strip mall got put 
in. It was on this Internet (2). I met my best friend, Austin (not his real 
name). I was taking some time (3). from college in Portland, Oregon and had 
become an active member (4). a Portland-based online DIY community 
called Urban Honking. Urban Honking featured a stable of blogs about studiedly eclectic 
subjects like rap (5)., vegan cooking, and science fiction, but I 
(6). most of my time on the message board, where a few dozen mostly 
twenty-somethings traded music recommendations and outlandish project ideas. At the 
(7). I was making stupid comedy videos and I’d share (8). 
with Urban Honking as I finished them, Austin was also an active Urban Honking poster. A 
(9). months after I joined, he sent me an (10). from his 
Yahoo! Mail account. 
Answer: 
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 
6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 
V. WRITING 
Exercise 1: Complete the sentences so that their meanings are close to the original ones. 
1. You had better not lend him any more money. 
 I would rather .. 
2. The last time we met each other was a fortnight ago. 
 It has been two . 
3. You’ll feel much healthier if you had a relaxing break. 
 A relaxing break would do .. 
4. When she heard the story of his final journey, she found herself crying. 
 She found herself moved . 
5. We get on very well with our next door neighbor. 
 We are on . 
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Exercise 2: 
What discovery in the last 100 years has been most beneficial for people in your country? 
Write an essay of at least 200 words on the topic. Use specific reasons and examples to 
support your choice. 
.. 
.. 
.. 
.. 
.. 
.. 
.. 
.. 
.. 
.. 
.. 
.. 
10 
.. 
.. 
.. 
.. 
.. 
.. 
.. 
.. 
.. 
.. 
.. 
.. 
.. 
.. 
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HƯỚNG DẪN CHẤM 
I. LISTENING (1 pt/each correct answer; total: 15 pts) 
Part 1: 
1. thousands of years 
2. green leaves 
3. the spice ginger 
4. (to) sharpen 
5. health reasons 
6. modern medicine 
7. lose weight 
8. journal 
9. the desire 
Part 2: 
10. B 11. C 12. C 
13. C 14. A 15. B 
II. PRONUNCIATION (1 pt/each correct answer; total: 5 pts) 
1. B 2. D 3. C 4. C 5. A 
III. LEXICO-GRAMMAR (total: 30 pts) 
Exercise 1: 0.5pt/each correct answer; total: 10pts 
1. D 2. B 3. A 4. D 5. D 
6. D 7. C 8. C 9. D 10. B 
11. C 12. B 13. C 14. B 15. A 
16. C 17. B 18. D 19. D 20. C 
Exercise 2: 1pt/each correct answer (0.5pt/ correct finding; 0.5pt/each correction); total: 10pts 
1. are (line 1) => is 
2. mistakes (line 2) => mistake 
3. are (line 4) => being 
4. invention (line 5) => inventions 
5. do (line 6) => make 
6. frustrating (line 6) => frustrated 
7. fallen (line 7) => falling 
8. build (line 8) => to build/building 
9. give (line 10) => gives 
10. are you really (line 10) => you really are 
Exercise 3: 1pt/each correct answer; total: 10pts 
1. twenties 2. loans 3. educational 4. desired 5. apprenticeship 
6. equally 7. professionally 8. explore 9. throwing 10. classes 
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IV. READING (1 pt/each correct answer; total: 30 pts) 
Exercise 1: 
1. FALSE 2. FALSE 3. TRUE 4. FALSE 5. FALSE 
Exercise 2: 
1. A 2. D 3. D 4. C 5. C 
Exercise 3: 
1. C 2. C 3. B 4. A 5. C 
6. C 7. D 8. A 9. D 10. D 
Exercise 4: 
1. less 2. that 3. off 4. of 5. music 
6. spent 7. time 8. them 9. few 10. email 
V. WRITING (Total: 20 pts) 
Exercise 1: (1 pt/each correct answer; total: 5 pts) 
1. I would rather you did not lend him any more money. 
2. It has been two weeks since we last met each other. 
3. A relaxing break would do you good. 
4. She found herself moved to tears by the story of his final journey. 
5. We are on very good terms with our next door neighbor. 
Exercise 2: (Total: 15 pts) 
The mark given is based on the following scheme: 
1. Content: 5pts 
a. Providing all main ideas and details as required (the most beneficial discovery is 
mentioned in the introduction and the reasons/benefits are discussed in the body) 
b. Communicating intentions sufficiently and effectively 
2. Organization & Presentation: 5pts 
a. Ideas are well organized and presented with coherence, cohesion, and clarity 
b. The essay is well-structured 
3. Language: 5pts 
a. Demonstration of a variety of vocabulary and structures appropriate to the level of English 
language gifted lower-secondary school students 
b. Good use and control of grammatical structures 
c. Good punctuation and no spelling mistakes